STRATEGIES FOR ENHANCING TEXT COMPREHENSION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL

Abstract

Teaching strategies that may be used in middle school classrooms in which thematic units and small‐group work comprise the dominant curriculum design are described. Four strategies related to vocabulary, comprehension, and writing are presented within the framework of an integrated middle school unit entitled “Hobbies for Life,” developed as part of an ongoing exploration curriculum. The strategies include dialogue journals, the verbal‐visual strategy for vocabulary ownership, graphic organizers, and the K—W—L strategy. The article follows a middle school student's use of the latter three strategies in her exploration of horses and riding. The steps of these strategies are presented to aid teachers in developing lessons based on the middle school philosophy of team planning and integrated units.